Old Photo From Odisha Falsely Linked to IAF’s Jaguar Crash in Rajasthan’s Churu
The image is over 10 years old and does not show the IAF jet which crashed in Churu, Rajasthan.
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A photo showing a severely damaged fighter jet is being widely shared on social media, where users have claimed that it shows the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet that crashed in Churu, Rajasthan on 9 July.
At the time of writing this report, this post by X user '@thetatvaindia' had gathered over 29,000 views.
(Archives of more posts sharing this claim can be seen here, here, here, and here.)
Is it true?: No, the claim is misleading.
While a jet crashed in Churu on 9 July 2025, this image dates back to June 2015 and shows a training fighter jet that crashed in Baripada, Odisha.
How do we know?: A reverse image search on the photo led us to a report by Firstpost, which was published on 4 June 2015.
The report mentioned that the image showed an "advanced trainer aircraft" which had crashed in Baripada, Odisha, leaving both pilots injured.
The report is over 10 years old.
(Source: Firstpost/Screenshot)
Another report by Telegraph India noted that the jet had crashed during a routine sortie, after flying for approximately 50 kilometers from Kalaikunda Air Base.
It added that the Hawk aircraft had crashed after a mid-air technical glitch and that both pilots had managed to eject before it crashed.
Stock image website Getty Images had also shared this image on 3 June 2015, mentioning that the jet was in the air for approximately 35 minutes before it crashed.
The image was uploaded on 3 June 2015.
(Source: Getty Images/Screenshot)
What happened in Churu?: An IAF Jaguar trainer jet carrying two pilots crashed in Churu, Rajasthan due to an accident.
In an X post, the IAF said that both pilots had sustained fatal injuries and that no civil property was damaged.
"A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," the post said.
Conclusion: A photo from 2015 is being widely shared with the false claim that it shows the IAF jet which crashed in Churu, Rajasthan.
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